The storms of 2005 and the failure of levees in New Orleans showed the power of natural forces and the vulnerabilities of artificial structures. Levees did not fail where they were protected by wetlands. Louisiana's coastal wetland and barrier islands form a broad marsh from the Mississippi's main channel and along the Gulf of Mexico. The combined impacts of river levees, navigation channels, oil and gas development, and rising sea levels are eroding 25 to 30 square miles of this fragile landscape each year. Erosion harms fish and wildlife habitats and fishing communities and puts New Orleans and coastal oil and gas facilities at greater risk from hurricanes. Since 1988, the coalition has pressed for implementation of a joint state-federal coastal restoration program to combat erosion, comparable in scale to restoring the Everglades.
Because of its broad membership and emphasis on local leadership, the coalition has the technical and political capacity to advocate effectively for the coast. It educates key constituencies on the need for restoration and ensures that solutions are scientifically valid. This critical work is aimed at protecting the largest coastal wetland in the lower 48 United States — about 3 million acres.
